Tattoos
by Lenas
Summary: Ronon/OC romance. A much longer story than I first intended, but I hope you will enjoy it. Beware of emotinal and physical whump. Thanks to my amazing beta starg8fans for making it possible!


22

**TATTOOS**

Home again! 'Finally - it's been three long weeks,' she thinks. Before, the long time spent on the Daedalus had not bothered Leila. She loved the ship and her work, it was more than she could ever have dreamed of, but things had changed.

She walks into the gate room. He used to wait for her there, arms crossed over his chest, a smile in his brown and green flecked eyes. She looks around; he is nowhere to be seen. Sam comes down the stairs from her office, greeting her with a warm hug.

"Nice to see you again," she says. "And happy birthday! I know it's a bit overdue. Anyway, I managed to get a hold of this." She pulls out a bottle of white wine she had tried to hide under her jacket.

"Thanks sweetie, and wine, mmm, not bad!" Leila looks over Sam's shoulder. "So, have you seen….?" she asks.

"Nope, sorry. But I'm sure he's around somewhere. His team isn't out on any op, at least I know that much." Sam smiles reassuringly. "Hey, I'm late for a meeting; we'll catch up later, ok?"

"Oh, sure, see you."

Leila doesn't continue to her quarters immediately; first she wants to feel the sun and a warm breeze on her face. Walking onto the nearest balcony, she looks out over the ocean. A wide smile splits her face when she thinks of their first date. After staying out there for a while she continues and as she walks past the mess hall, she remembers the very first time they met.

**Mess hall. **

Sheppard's team was sitting at a table together having dinner. Sheppard and Teyla had finished their meal some time ago. As usual McKay and Ronon hadn't. McKay was devouring his blue Jello-O, making loud smacking noises. Sheppard looked at him with a disgusted expression on his face.

"All done?" he asked McKay.

"Yes, as a matter of fact… unless there is some more blue Jell-O…," He looked around the mess hall.

Ronon smiled. "Nope, I took the last one."

"I see. Tell you what, how about a little wager? I tell you a riddle, if you figure it out, you keep the Jell-O. If you don't, the Jell-O is mine."

"Uh, how about….no?"

"Oh, come on, it's fun! So, here goes. The grass on a football filed needs to be trimmed. One man can do it alone in four hours. Another man can do it in five hours, a third man in six hours and a fourth man in eight hours. If they all work together, how long will it take them to trim the grass?"

"For starters, what's a football field?" Ronon asked with a clearly irritated note in his voice.

"That's just dumb!" Sheppard always enjoyed the times Ronon didn't have a clue about earth things. Still, he wouldn't take it lightly if anyone tried to make his friend look stupid just for fun.

"That is hardly fair Rodney," Teyla added, throwing him one of her looks.

"What? It's an easy enough math calculation. A five year old could figure it out."

"Just drop it McKay!" Sheppard was clearly annoyed now.

But McKay had no intention of doing so, not when there was blue Jello-O at stake. And of course he just had a natural way of annoying people.

"So, uh, do you have an…….answer?" He looked triumphantly at Ronon.

Ronon stared back, saying nothing.

"No? Guess I win!" McKay reached out to grab the bowl but Ronon was quicker. He grabbed a hold of McKay's wrist, hard, before the scientist was able to reach it.

"I don't think so. How about I tell _you_ a riddle instead?"

"Well, that should be easy enough."

Ronon decided to let this patronizing remark pass.

"How many Sanarians does it take to change a light bulb?"

"See, that is not fair either, is it? Who or what are Sanarians?"

"Well, on Sateda we used to make up stories about how stupid the Sanarians were, and they did the exact same thing about us. Done with a kind of brotherly love though."

"Well, how stupid can you get, one should be more than enough."

"Wrong, three. One to hold the light bulb in the socket and two to rotate the ladder."

Both Teyla and Sheppard chuckled.

"Oh, zing! And how was I supposed to figure that out?"

"Stupid. That was you're clue."

Ronon was just about to dig into the blue contents of the bowl when he suddenly stopped.

"Who are they?"

"Oh, that's right; the Daedalus is due for a maintenance check. Guess the crew is hungry…" answered Sheppard.

The mess hall filled up with Daedalus personnel. Teyla noticed how Sheppard and McKay were staring at three women walking and laughing together, two brunettes and a slightly taller woman with long red hair. Telya threw a glance at Ronon, not expecting him to pay close attention. To her surprise she found that maybe he was?

She knew so well what Sheppard and McKay are about to say in a moment. She's just thankful it's earth women this time. If she hears the two words "alien" and "hot" in the same sentence one more time… 'I swear I will kick them both right in their ba…' Of course this is not something she would ever say out loud. That would be far beneath her dignity. And here it comes…

"Hot, really hot!" That was McKay.

"I know!" said Sheppard.

Ronon hardly ever joined in this kind of talk, but for a change he was looking. 'It's about time, too,' Teyla thought. He had given a few women short glances of appreciation, village girls and even some of her own Athosian friends, but it never amounted to more than that. To the ladies' great disappointment, she could imagine. He was an…_impressive_ man.

"Wait a minute!" McKay burst out. "I know the redhead, I'm sure!"

"You? How?" Sheppard asked with a sarcastic undertone in his voice.

"Yes, yes, very funny! I'll just need to…" McKay snapped his fingers impatiently.

"Captain Wilson, that's it! She is a very good friend of our boss to be, Samantha Carter… my…. personal… friend."

"Yeah, in your dreams McKay," Sheppard quipped.

By now Teyla was almost certain that Ronon was interested in some way. He still hadn't touched his Jello-O. Ignoring food was _not _like him. She decided to give him a helping hand, for his own sake. She turned to McKay.

"Why don't you call your…'friend' over?"

"Good idea, Teyla!" Sheppard all but shouted out.

Teyla resisted an urge to roll her eyes.

"Wooho, Captain Wilson, over here!"

The three women, now carrying trays and apparently looking for somewhere to sit, stopped. The redhead approached with a bewildered expression on her lovely face.

"It's me, Dr McKay, Rodney McKay. We met at Stargate command a few times, remember?"

Captain Leila Wilson did indeed remember Dr McKay; although it surprised her that he remembered her name. Sam had told her that he only recalls the names of women he finds, well, attractive and not _too_ annoying. 'Suppose I'm not too annoying then,' she mused.

"Yes, of course, Dr McKay, nice to see you again. I trust everything is well with you?"

"Fine, fine, thank you. And how is Dr Carter…uhum…Samantha?"

Leila smiled. She knew all about Dr McKay's obsession with tall, blond women and with Sam in particular.

"She's fine, I'm sure, very eager to come to Atlantis of course. And also a bit nervous I can imagine."

Leila turned to introduce her friends. "This is Captain Claudia Schwartz and Major Sara Stevens."

"_Lieutenant Colonel_ John Sheppard. Nice to meet you. Maybe you ladies would like to join us?" John flashed his most winning smile at the three women.

Teyla once again resisted an urge to roll her eyes. It's starting to give her a headache. She turned to McKay.

"Rodney, maybe you would like to introduce everybody as well?"

"Of course, well you've already met Colonel Sheppard." He threw John a withering glance. "I'm Dr Rodney McKay, and that's Teyla and Ronon."

"A pleasure Colonel, you're quite the legend," Leila said. Sheppard's smile became even wider, if that was even possible. "And Ronon, Teyla, I'm honored to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you," Leila continued.

"That bad, huh?"

Leila was startled by the sound of Ronon's voice. It was not like anything she'd ever heard before. She liked it. She could almost imagine him whispering, no growling, sweet words in her ear. 'What is the matter with me?' But she knew very well what's the matter with her. Not having had sex for seven months, that's the bloody matter!

"A sense of humor was not mentioned in connection with your name, though." She smiled at Ronon.

To her surprise he smiled back. "But don't worry," Leila continued, still smiling, "I prefer to make up my own opinion about people."

"Well, that's a good rule to live by," Ronon answered.

Teyla immediately liked the woman. She seemed to be of a very calm and self confident nature. Not easily thrown off, she could imagine. And Teyla knew Ronon would try to do just that. He was always testing people, always suspicious, never trusting anyone at first. The reason for this lay in his past, of course, but she did wish he would let down his guard a little sometimes, especially in situations like this. At least he hadn't frisked the women for weapons yet….

Leila turned to her friends. "So, what do you say, shall we sit here?" The two brunettes were already pulling out chairs for themselves, placing them between Ronon and Sheppard, big smiles on their faces.

'I take that as a yes,' Leila sighed. She sat down at the end of the table, next to Ronon and McKay.

Sheppard immediately began to tell a story to amuse the two young women; something about a man they met…Lucius? He apparently managed to put everyone in Atlantis under some sort of infatuation spell, except for Sheppard of course. Claudia and Sara giggled, batting their eyelashes.

Leila sighed again, turning her attention to Ronon and McKay. They didn't seem very amused. Leila had a feeling that Teyla wasn't either but she managed to keep smiling politely. Leila and McKay talked a while about her work and duties on the Daedalus. Ronon remained quiet. He had pushed his chair a bit back from the table, arms crossed over his chest, in a defensive way, Leila thought.

"That's an interesting tattoo you have there, on your, uhum, neck?" Leila asked Ronon, hoping the question didn't come off as too flirty. "Does it have any special significance, or…?"

"It's a symbol from my home world," Ronon answered rather curtly.

Leila knew very little of his personal history. Afraid she might have overstepped her bounds, she hurriedly continued, "I have one too, a tattoo, a red rose. Also a symbol of my home world, sort of, I mean England."

Suddenly Ronon leaned forward, laying his hands on the table top. Leila noticed that his fingers were surprisingly long and slender, and they almost touched her hand. She couldn't stop herself from running her eyes up his arm, all the way to his broad shoulder. She suppressed a sigh. Then she looked down at her own pale, slightly freckled arm. 'I really must work on my muscle tone,' she thought.

"So where is this…?" Ronon let the end of his question hang in the air, looking at her closely.

"Oh, right here." She pointed at a spot just above her left breast. "Close to the heart."

Ronon looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"I don't suppose you would like to sho….." McKay began.

"Don't go there, McKay," Ronon cut him off.

Leila looked at them both in surprise. Did McKay really mean she should flash herself? She could more readily imagine that this was something Ronon would say, but then again, appearances certainly could be deceiving.

Leila smiles at the memory. Ronon "defending her honour" and Rodney... well, she likes Rodney. 'He sort of grows on you', she ponders. She continues to walk to her quarters, making a short stop by one of the city's impressive windows to look out over the Daedalus in her docking bay. The sight takes her to the second time she and Ronon met.

**The Daedalus.**  
The Midway station had been invaded by the Wraith, and for some reason that Leila wasn't really sure of, Ronon and Teal´c had teamed up and followed them to earth to fight them.

Colonel Sheppard and Dr McKay had tried to defend the Midway station, and it seemed almost certain that they had been defeated. The Daedalus received orders to return Ronon to Atlantis, and to stop at the Midway station on the way back to asses the situation.

As soon as they saw that it had been destroyed, Leila and Hermiod immediately began to scan for the Puddle Jumper that served as an escape pod, knowing very well it would probably be stuck somewhere in the galactic void.

Ronon insisted on looking over her and Hermiod's shoulders in engineering the whole time they worked, or rather tried to work. She finally had to ask him to please, stand still! He was walking around like a lion in a cage, bothering Hermiod with sarcastic comments, such as could they not work any faster?

Eventually she just told him to pipe down! She considered Hermiod a friend, and she would not tolerate that kind of behaviour. For a moment she wondered if the 'pipe down' command had been a mistake. But at least she didn't tell him to shut up, which could have really gotten her into trouble.

Even so, Ronon towered over her, staring, standing so close to her she could feel his warm breath on her face. But she would not relent. Finally he relaxed a bit and placed himself in a corner, watching them in silence, his eyes drilling into her.

A sudden feeling of almost overwhelming sympathy overcame Leila. He didn't show it or say anything, but clearly it was concern for Colonel Sheppard and Dr McKay, who were his friends, that had caused his behavior. Maybe he didn't have many of those, she thought, except for Teyla, that is. Leila asked him softly if maybe they should go to the Commissary to get something to eat? He nodded and went on ahead.

When she walked in the Commissary Ronon had already found a seat by himself at one of the tables. The food on the tray in front of him was still untouched. She hesitated for a short moment, not sure whether it would be wise to join him, but decided that's what they had agreed on. They sat together in silence. Not an awkward silence, but Leila still decided to break it.

"Look, Ronon, Dr McKay and Colonel Sheppard are both brave and smart, if anyone found a way to reach the Puddle Jumper in time, it would be them." She wanted to console him, but had no clue how to do it.

Rono raised his head and looked her straight in the eye.

"I sure hope so. Uh, I like to apologize. I know you're doing all you can. I just hate sitting around doing nothing."

"Ok, apology accepted," she answered with relief. Good, no hard feelings between them.

"Just like that?" He looked at her with obvious relief.

"Just like that," she said. "Ronon, I can't even begin to imagine everything you've been through as a runner, and I can understand that it's hard for you to stay still. So, yes, just like that."

She could see a sudden flicker of interest in his eyes.

"What is your name, your first name?" he asked softly. Leila looked at him in surprise.

"Leila, my name is Leila."

"That's a nice name," he said, the hint of a smile lighting up his face.

They continued to eat and talk for quite some time. Leila was surprised to find how intelligent he was, and she really liked his sense of humor. Mostly they talked about what they did when they had time off; apparently Sheppard had introduced Ronon to the joy of watching movies! They had a common interest there.

"Alien, ah, I still haven't seen it!" Ronon said.

"Oh, but you must! It's brilliant. I especially like the fact that the only one that comes out alive in the end is the female hero, she is so cool!" Leila replied.

"What happened to the men?" he asked.

"The men were sloppy," she answered smiling. Ronon laughed out loud.

That made Leila feel all warm inside. She had managed to break trough his wall, if only for a little while. After this they spent a lot of time together, mostly in engineering when Leila and Hermiod worked. Finally they located the Jumper and scooped it up, not able to make contact before though.

Ronon rushed down to the 302 Bay, Leila followed. When the jumper hatch was lowered she could see Dr McKay, Bill and Kavanagh. No sign of Sheppard. Ronon walked inside and opened the bulkhead. Leila could see Sheppard in the pilot's seat, eyes closed and headphones on. Leila couldn't make out what Ronon was doing but she could see Sheppard's hand flailing and then she heard Ronon laughing out loud. It's was very sweet scene and Leila couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was something more than just friendship between them?

At girls poker night she had found out (almost) all there is about the men in Atlantis. These evenings are not so much about actually playing poker as they are about drinking wine and gossiping, Leila found out. She being a newbie, of course, had the girls more than willing to tell her all they knew. She didn't ask about Ronon in particular. She didn't want anyone to know of her interest in him, so she asked about Sheppard and McKay as well. Were they maybe seeing anyone?

The topic of Sheppard's dating had all the women speaking at the same time. Apparently he had serious commitment problems, Leila thought. Ronon on the other hand didn't seem to date at all, at least not in Atlantis.

Not dating at all? Bugger! Maybe he was seeing someone off world?

One of the marines thought that he and Teyla were lovers, but no one else really believed that.

Leila remembered one woman in particular, a young blond doctor. When the subject of Ronon came up, Leila noticed how the young doctor blushed and got very excited, talking rapidly. Leila believed she had a crush on him, and she found that quite understandable.

Back in the Jumper Sheppard picked up his vest and followed Ronon out. Ronon told Sheppard that he passed the interview at the I.O.A. Leila knew by then why Ronon and Teal'c had teamed up, Ronon had told her all about it over breakfast the same morning. Sheppard and Ronon chatted on while the Daedalus headed into hyperspace.

Sheppard finally noticed Leila, thanking her for all the help.

"Ronon didn't give you too much trouble I hope?" Sheppard asked, nodding in Ronon's direction.

"Only a little, at first, but we got along fine eventually," Leila replied with a meaningful look at Ronon. He smirked.

Sheppard arched an eyebrow and looked from Ronon to Leila, then back again.

"So, you found a way to spend your time then I take it?" Sheppard threw Ronon a look. To Leila's surprise Ronon almost looked a bit…embarrassed?

Sheppard and Ronon continued to walk along, Leila lingered a bit. She didn't want to interfere in the two friends' reunion. Suddenly Ronon stopped, telling Sheppard he'd be along in a minute.

Ronon walked up to Leila, dragging a hand through his dreads, with an uncertain expression on his face.

"Uh, Leila, I was thinking, when we get back to Atlantis,…maybe we could, uh ?"

Leila stared in disbelief. Was he trying to ask her out!?

"You mind helping me out here? I'm a bit rusty at this." Ronon clearly looked quite embarrassed now.

"You mean you and me, a date?" Leila tried to give him a reassuring look.

"Yeah, that's what I mean. Dinner maybe?" Leila could see a look of relief in his eyes.

"Ronon, I really would like that." Leila wanted to jump high with joy but managed to keep her cool.

As she turns away from the window Leila can't help but smile when she remembers how very nervous she was before their first date. But looking back she is glad to say that it went better than she could ever have imagined.

**Jumper Nr 4.**

One week later they had dinner together. Leila had no idea how dating worked in Atlantis. She cursed the constant dress codes, though; wearing a real dress for a change would be nice! But she was more or less on duty around the clock. She didn't expect Ronon would invite her to his quarters on the first date, and of course he didn't. Instead he surprised her with dinner outside on the south pier. They ate under the stars. Ronon had managed to get hold on a bottle of white wine. It was a kind of hard currency in Atlantis. Leila was glad, she was a bit nervous and she needed some wine to loosen her up. Ronon had to admit he was a bit nervous, too; neither of them had dated someone from another planet before. However the topic of different "dating cultures" helped to break the ice initially.

The date went along well. Ronon told her of his life on Sateda, mostly about his military training and the war against the Wraith. Leila had a feeling there was a woman involved somehow but she didn't ask, maybe he would tell her more eventually. She wanted to know more about his childhood and his family, but neither of them brought up the subject.

Apparently both of them were more comfortable talking about the present; they shared op-stories and got some good laughs out of it. After a while the situation got a bit awkward. Leila could tell Ronon had no idea what to do next, what she expected. Leila on the other hand knew exactly what she wanted to do.

"You know, I've always wanted to try the pilot's seat in a Jumper. So, how about a little trip down to the Jumper Bay, would that be ok?"

Ronon was all for it. He seemed even a bit relieved that she had made a suggestion.

The Jumper Bay was not exactly heavily guarded; only two marines were on duty there that evening and they were busy playing cards. Ronon and Leila sneaked into Jumper Nr 4.

Leila immediately sat down in the pilot's seat. Ronon stood behind her, leaning on the backrest.

"Oh, she is pretty! What's her name"?

"Uh, no name, just Nr 4."

"No name!? Every ship needs a name! So, we have Jumper 1 to 10..You could just name them after the letters in the alphabet, so that Jumper 1 starts with an A of course, Aurora or Ava? Jumper 2 with a B.."

"Burt?" Ronon suggested.

"No, not Burt, it has to be a female. Oh, you're making fun of me."

Leila could feel a slight blush in her cheeks. Good thing I have my back to him, she thought.

"No, of course not. It's just, I've never seen anyone so passionate over a Jumper before, well, maybe apart from Sheppard that is."

Leila laughed softly. "I know, I tend to get a bit overexcited about ships."

She caught him by surprise when she spun the chair around. "What's your passion then?" she asked with a cocky smile.

"You mean apart from killing Wraith?"

Leila nodded.

"As you have noticed, I have a thing for tattoos." Smiling he held up his left forearm, and rather proudly, she thought, showed her his "pyramid" tattoo.

"And I know you have one, a rose?"

As he said this, he rested both his arms on the pilot seat's armrests, leaning over so close to her they were face to face.

"I really would like to see it."

Leila saw a glimmer in his eyes. It made her press herself as far back into the seat as possible. Before the date, she had had every intention of letting Ronon seduce her if it would come to that. Now she didn't feel so tough anymore, she had no idea what to expect, and it made her feel insecure.

However Ronon alleviated her thoughts of uncertainty as he softly pressed his lips against hers. It took her by surprise; she answered the kiss with open eyes. Ronon opened his eyes and looked back at her.

"Not ok?" he asked.

Leila swallowed hard. "It's. ok," she whispered, wondering where her voice had gone.

He took her by the hand and gently drew her to her feet, pulling her close to his hard body and holding her securely in his arms. He kissed her again, more eagerly and demandingly this time, probing her lips. She could feel the tip of his tongue as she sent her own out to touch his. Still, it was a gentle kiss. Then Ronon pulled his tongue back a bit and licked her lower lip before drawing it into his mouth, sucking on it. Leila shivered; she couldn't hold back a quiet moan.

The sound encouraged Ronon to kiss her again, a deep and hungry kiss this time. They stayed like this for a long time, sharing eager and wet kisses. When they finally broke apart, their lips were moist and swollen, and Leila's chin was chafed from Ronon's beard.

Ronon looked deep into her eyes as he pushed her back against the Jumper's control panel, her butt resting on the edge. Holding her tight in this position, Ronon bent down and covered her neck with trails of hot kisses, licking and biting her earlobe. He pressed a knee in between her thighs; she rocked against it, panting loudly, enough to make him hard.

To her disappointment he stopped suddenly.

"If you want me to stop, tell me now," he said in a hoarse voice.

Leila wanted to scream 'Oh, god, no, don't stop!' But all that came out was a whisper, "Please Ronon..."

Leila's whole body shivered as Ronon's hands found their way under her plain black top; he ran them up and down her back, sliding a finger under the hem of her bra. He pulled it all the way around and stopped under her left breast. Slowly, he began to stroke her stiff nipple with his thumb while still kissing her hungrily. Leila groaned with need and entangled her fingers in his dreads.

Gently she pushed him back at bit while she pulled her top over the head, exposing her green lace bra, both nipples hard points. Ronon stared at her breasts unable to breathe.

"Well, this is it." She pointed at her rose tattoo. "You like it?" Leila asked with a soft smile.

"Mmmm..yes!" was all Ronon could get out before he bent down and kissed it. She felt her skin burning as she pressed her breasts against him.

Sensations shot trough her as Ronon's hands cupped her breasts, massaging them while he kissed and licked her cleavage. Now Leila wanted to see him, touch him and make him groan with pleasure.

"Ronon, your shirt. I can't." She really had no clue how to take it off.

Before she could blink Ronon stood before her with his chest bared. Leila couldn't hold back a gasp at the sight of his many scars. Ronon gave her a look of... was it something like shame?

But Leila pulled him close and pressed her face against his soft skin, licking and nibbling, placing hot kisses on every scar, while she circled her fingers over his broad back. Encouraged by his heavy breathing Leila let her wet tongue slide all over his chest, circling his breast and nipples, and Ronon finally let out a throaty groan.

Now, both filled with an almost painful level of arousal, they couldn't hold back and take it slow any longer. While Ronon pulled off her pants, Leila unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. His mouth closed on one of her nipples, sucking hard and fast while he slipped a hand down her knickers. Feeling her soft, wet curls, Ronon groaned again, louder.

"You're..so..wet!" he panted in her ear.

Leila reclined on the control panel now, head thrown back, eyes shut and mouth half open.

"Oh, god, Ronon!" she cried out as Ronon began stroking her hard clit faster and faster, his mouth and tongue all over her sensitized nipples. With his left hand he skillfully unhooked his two belts, freeing his hard, throbbing cock.

Leila looked up when she heard the belts fall to the floor. 'He is a big man in more ways than one!' flashed through her mind. She held her breath, wondering if she would be able to take all of him, but then again, he had made her wetter than she had ever been before, and she wanted him more than she had ever wanted any man.

"Ronon, please..I need…take me," she moaned as she threw her legs around his waist, pulling him close. She didn't have to ask twice as Ronon grabbed her hips and slid inside her with a hard thrust, all the way in. She cried out, her body shaking and jerking, as he began to move in and out of her, harder, faster.

_It had been years, so many years without the love of a good woman. Ronon had meant to take it slow and easy, make it last longer. But the sight of Leila's beautiful naked and willing body, her pleading for him to take her, made it impossible for him to restrain himself. With a hard thrust he was inside her. She was so tight and wet, and when he felt her muscles constrict around his throbbing cock, it almost drove him crazy, "Easy Ronon!" his mind screamed as he felt her hard clit rubbing against him with every thrust. "Let..her..come..first," He tried to hold back._

White sparks flashed before her eyes every time he rubbed against her clit. She couldn't hold back any longer. Her fingers clawing at Ronon's back, her body arching she came and came, screaming out his name. Ronon was only seconds behind; he half shouted her name, his body snapping tight as he came with a roar that could awaken the dead.

Leila feels moisture between her legs at this memory as she arrives at her quarters. She longs for him now more than ever. Where the hell is he?

She reaches her quarters, opens the door and slams down her trunk on the floor.

"Where have you been?"

"Bloody hell Ronon, you scared the living daylight out of me!" she cries out.

"Yeah, I know, I have that effect on people," Ronon smirks. "It's a gift."

He sits on her bed, dressed only in baggy pants and a t-shirt. She notices a white bandage over his right eyebrow. 'Another sparring accident,' she thinks.

"Ronon." She walks towards the bed, ready to throw herself into his arms, but stops and kneels in front of him. As she approaches the bed, Ronon holds up his right arm and there, clutched between his fingers, dangles a necklace.

"Happy birthday," he says smiling.

"You remembered," Leila can feel a lump building in her throat.

"Of course I remembered. You like it?"

Ronon looks at her with that expression of uncertainty she has learned to know so well. There are still so many things left unsaid between them, so she can't blame him.

"I love it, it's beautiful." Leila takes the necklace in her hands. It's a graceful silver chain with a single stone of emerald green hanging in the middle.

"Let me put it on," he says, so Leila lifts up her long hair.

"Uh, no, we need to get you out of that jumpsuit first," Ronon pulls down the zipper. Underneath she wears a plain black t-shirt.

"Mmmm, no, still not right," Ronon says with a cocky smirk as he pulls the top over her head, revealing her black lace bra. Leila holds up her hair again so Ronon can put the necklace on. He pulls back a bit to look her over.

"So, how does it look, satisfying?"

"Very satisfying," he murmurs in her neck as he begins to kiss her, playing with the straps of her bra, pulling them slowly down over her shoulders.

"I missed you," he says while he presses her down on the bed.

"I missed you too." Leila closes her eyes in anticipation of what he is about to do to her.

"Welcome back," he says smiling when Leila finally opens her eyes, still panting from her intense orgasm.

He pulls her close so she can rest her head on his naked chest. Both completely satisfied now, this is the time they spend talking, catching up on the time they had been separated. Finally Leila raises herself. Resting on her left elbow, she gently touches his bandage.

"What happened? Don't tell me it's another sparring accident?"

"Yeah, it is. It's ok though, just a few stitches. John got in a lucky shot last night when I was, well, distracted."

"John did? That must have been some distraction!" She punches him playfully in the stomach.

"Ouch!" he chuckles.

His voice changes and becomes more serious.

"I thought about you, that I would see you today and, wham! My own fault."

She bends down and kisses him softly, a warm feeling spreading inside her.

"Uh, there is something I need to tell you. You know, I don't want any secrets between us, so.."

"Ok, go on." Leila answers, a hard knot building in her stomach. 'What's going on?' she thinks.

"Well, I went down to the infirmary to have this patched up, expecting Carson to be there. You know, he's always working late, but there was nobody around except that young doctor, Kessler, and well, she told me to lie down so she could stitch me up."

Leila arches an eyebrow. "Mmm, I bet she did, and?"

"So, I dozed off a bit while she worked on me, and I. well, I woke up when I felt her..uhm.. pressing her breasts against me, leaning over me almost as if she wanted to, you know, kiss me."

He says this slowly, avoiding eye contact whit Leila, as if he had done something wrong.

"She did what!?" Leila gasped, thinking 'that had to be the young doctor from the girl's poker night!'

"Hey, at least I think that's what she was doing. I was tired, you know and a bit muddled..."

He presses her down on the bed and starts kissing her neck and collarbone.

"Oh, no, don't you try to avoid the subject!"

"Mmmm, the subject being.?" he murmurs in her neck.

"Young, blond woman pressing her breast against you, that's the subject!" she replied icily as she pushes him off her.

"You're jealous!" he says with a dangerous smile.

"Of course I'm bloody jealous! Wouldn't you be if a man 'pressed' himself against me?"

"Anyone who touches you is a dead man." Ronon replies this with clenched teeth. Leila blinks,

she actually believes him.

Then he takes her by the shoulders and looks right in her eyes.

"Hey, you have no reason to be jealous. I'm a one woman man, you know that."

"Well, alright. But still, I have a good mind to go down to the infirmary and have a little 'chat' with this doctor Kessler."

"I understand, but there's no need. You see, I think Rodney likes her. Apparently she asked him out for a drink a few weeks ago and that made him very..well, you know Rodney and women.."

"She asks him out and tried to kiss you!? What a. flirt!" Leila says, feeling her anger rise again.

Ronon smiles. "Flirt. That is one way to put it I guess, but like I said, if Rodney likes her we should just leave it at that."

Leila returned his smile.

"You really like Rodney more than you care to admit, don't you? You big softy you," she teases him.

"Well, when he doesn't whine so much he's ok, I guess," he says smiling.

Noticing the sun's rays falling through the window, he suddenly sits up.

"Damn, what's the time!? I must go."

"No, so soon? What is it this time?"

Both Leila and Ronon have their duties in Atlantis, and the fact that they are 'dating' doesn't change that, of course.

"Combat practice with some new marines. Sorry, but I couldn't get out of it," he says with an apologizing smile.

Leila puts her arms around him and kisses him eagerly. She can feel she is ready for him again.

"Do you have to? I wish there were some place we could be alone for a while. Just you and me and no duties. I believe it's called Vacation, and some people actually take one now and then."

He laughs. "Can't, sorry. This sucks sometimes! But it would be great, you and me, and you could scream as much as you like."

"Scream? What would you do to me?"

"Well, first I would.." His voice peters off as a calculating look comes into his eyes.

"We really should do it you know, go away. Remember my Satedan friend, Solen?" Leila nods.

"He has a small cottage on Belkan, primitive, but at least we'd be alone there. If only we could get some time off..."

"I will speak to Sam and Col. Caldwell. It's not like I don't deserve some time off, at least a couple of days. And you, you haven't really asked for any leave at all during your years in Atlantis, have you?"

"Sure haven't, I've been happy just killing Wraith and hanging out with John and Teyla. But things are different now.." He kisses her softly.

"Ok, settled then. Go on, off with you! And go easy on those marines."

Ronon jumps out of bed and put his clothes on that lay in a pile underneath. He turns to look at her.

"You know I won't," he says with a smirk as he opens the door. Leila sighs and remains in bed for quite a while, just hugging his pillow to her breast, nuzzling it, still smelling him.

'Hot! Very hot planet,' Leila thinks. She is standing outside the cottage. Ronon is inside with their bags, putting things away. 'Not so much unlike earth, though, except for the three moons and the complete absence of birds singing. Hmm, I need to cool off.' Leila strips down to nothing but a black tank top and matching hot pants, and of course the necklace Ronon gave her, and walks down the slope to the nearby lake. She dips a toe into the water. It is chilly, but she still longs to go for a skinny dip with Ronon.

"Now, there's a sight for sore eyes," she hears Ronon's voice, and turns to see him walking towards her, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.

"I aim to please," she answers smiling.

"How's the water?" Ronon reaches her and wraps his arms around her.

"A bit chilly, but what you see is what you get."

"And I like what I see…" He is just about to bend down and kiss her when his body tightens. "Did you hear that?" he says, gazing up at the sky.

'No, no, no!' Leila thinks. She is determined not to let anything destroy the two days they have together. She begins to kiss his chest eagerly, letting her tongue slide down his perfect six-packs. She is just about to get down on her knees for him when she hears it too, the distinct metallic buzzing of a Wraith Dart.

"Wraith!" Ronon shouts. "We need to get out of the open!"

He takes her hand and races up the slope.

"It's a scout, they're looking for something, or someone!"

"How can you know that!?" Leila shouts, running hard, trying to keep up with Ronon's tempo.

He doesn't answer. "Damn, I left my gun in there!"

He slows down a bit and turns to her; "Leila, you can make it back to the gate, go!"

Leila can see the concern in his eyes, the need to protect her. However, she has never run away from a fight before, and she is not about to start now.

"I'm not running to the bloody gate! Not without you. I can fight, you know that."

The Dart soars down out of the sky towards them. Its transport beam activates but not to cull them, instead the beam deposits one vicious looking Wraith Lord and two warriors.

Leila's heart pounds hard. She has never been that close to a Wraith before. To be engaged in space battles against them is one thing, but this…..

'Where the hell did I put my gun?' She realizes she will need it.

Then everything happens fast. With his tongue sticking out between his clenched teeth, Ronon takes a fighting stance in front of Leila, trying to block her from the enemy. However, she immediately takes a step to the side so she is prepared to fight as well.

The Wraith leader snarls and shows something like a… smile when he realizes they have no weapons to defend themselves. The leader points at Leila and turns to the two warriors.

"Take care of the female. This one is mine."

With a growl he surges at Ronon and grabs him by the throat. Ronon punches the Wraith in the face several times, making him loose his grip slightly. The Wraith punches back, hard. Blood starts to stream from a cut above Ronon's left eyebrow and from his split lip. Ronon sways and is forced down on one knee, making it possible for the Wraith to tighten his grip yet again. He hauls Ronon to his feet, lifts him up and throws him hard against a tree. Ronon yells in agony as he crashes into the trunk.

Leila can only watch this helplessly as the two warriors approach her.

'Will they shoot me or feed on me?' is the thought that runs through her mind. She backs off towards the cottage slowly. They have their weapons pointed at her but they do not move. 'Waiting for further borders from their master perhaps?' she thinks.

The Wraith has now hauled Ronon back on his feet and is face to face with him, his fingers around his throat again. He growls and sort of sniffs him closely.

"The information we received was correct. This is the one, the one that used to be a runner."

Almost unable to breathe, Ronon manages to pant, "It's me…you want…let the woman…go!"

The Wraith nods at one of the warriors, who raises his weapon and before Leila can blink she feels a bolt of lightning slam into her stomach, and spread like icy fire through her veins. The whole world seems to spin around her as she drops to her knees, while from a distance she can hear Ronon's painful scream "No!!"

Unable to move, Leila has to watch helplessly as the Wraith form a circle around Ronon. Once again the Dart soars down out of the sky, the transport beam activates and in a heartbeat Ronon, the Wraith Lord and the warriors are gone.

"Ronon…" she whispers as tears stream down her face.

"Ronon!" Panting, Leila finds herself sitting upright in bed, drops of sweat glistening on her forehead. The grey of an early dawn seeps in through the shutters. 'A dream, nothing but a bad dream!' she thinks. She feels someone touch her shoulder. Ronon is awake, of course. The years as a runner have taught him to wake from the slightest disturbance.

"Another bad dream?" he asks.

Leila nods.

"That's the third night in a row, Leila. Is something wrong?"

"No, no of course not." He looks at her with arched eyebrows. She is a terrible liar and he can tell there's more to this.

"Oh well, lately I just had this haunting feeling that someone is watching me, or us…"

"'Watching' us? That's kinda kinky, isn't it?" Ronon smirks.

Leila laughs softly.

"No, I don't mean it like that, or well, maybe… I don't know. I'm imagining things I'm sure."

"Still, your lack of sleep worries me. Maybe you should go see Carson, see if he can give you something to help you sleep?"

"Hmm, I really don't like taking pills, but ok, I suppose it can't hurt for a short while until this blows over."

"Good girl, go on then!"

"You mean now?"

"Sure. I bet you Carson is down in the infirmary already. Maybe it's enough to just talk to him. He's a good listener and friend. "

When Leila enters the infirmary Carson is nowhere to be seen, and the room lies more or less deserted under dimmed lights. She is just about to turn away and walk back to her quarters when a voice halts her steps.

"Captain Wilson, what ever are you doing here at this early hour?" Leila turns around. It is Dr. Kessler. She is wearing a sleeveless blue top instead of the usual white coat, and her hair is down. 'Is she not on duty?' Leila thinks.

"Uh, nothing really, I just have some trouble sleeping so I thought I'd check if Carson was here. Maybe he could give me some pills to help me sleep. I can see though that you're not on duty so I'll just come back later."

"No, don't worry about it, I can give you something. Incidentally, how are you feeling, in general?" asks Dr. Kessler.

Although the question speaks of concern, the tone of Dr. Kessler's voice does not.

"Fine, I'm fine. Just had some trouble sleeping lately, like I said. Apart from that I'm good."

"Hmm, still, I would like to run a quick check on your vitals, just to make sure. Please, won't you lie down?"

Leila hesitates for a moment, but decides that the Doctor probably has her reasons.

"Oh, ok then, suppose it can't hurt…"

Still somewhat reluctantly Leila slowly lies down on the hospital bed.

Dr Kessler grabs Leilas left arm to wrap a blood-pressure cuff around it. She is working slowly, looking intently at Leila.

"You really should try to relax, I can feel you're a bit tense," Dr. Kessler says, then continues, "I noticed the necklace you're wearing, it's very pretty."

Leila can't explain why, but she suddenly has a feeling that maybe she should keep Dr. Kessler at arm's length. She doesn't like the look in her eyes or the tone of her voice.

"Thanks, it was a…gift. Look, this really isn't necessary, I'll just come back later, alright?"

Dr Kessler doesn't answer her question, instead she asks, "A gift - from Ronon?"

The tone in Leila's voice hardens. "Yes," she replies curtly, sitting up on the bed, ready to leave.

"Ok, maybe you're right, this can probably wait. Just hang on, I'll get you some pills to help you sleep."

Dr Kessler turns her back to Leila and unlocks the medicine cabinet. Leila can hear her scrambling around for something, wishing she would hurry up so she can return to Ronon and their bed.

Suddenly Dr. Kessler turns around with a syringe in her hand, and before Leila can react its needle is plunged into her arm.

"What are you doing!?" Leila cries out, pressing her hand over the small puncture the syringe left. Dr Kessler smiles at her in a very weird way.

"I have watched you and Ronon for some time now, laughing, kissing, holding hands. We had something once...there was this moment when he was here getting a wound stitched up. I knew he wanted me as much as I wanted him. If it hadn't been for you…" she sighs, "I would have been the one for Ronon. So I was thinking, with you out of the way…well, it will make him turn to me for comfort."

Dr. Kessler seems to be talking more to herself than to Leila. Her smile is even wider now, and just very…creepy. 'Yes that's the right word,' Leila thinks as she slowly realizes the truth. 'The woman is as mad as a hatter!'

"Clearly you are suffering from some sort of delusion," Leila says. "I want you to tell me what was in that syringe, now! Or I will have to hurt you." But it's a hollow promise. Leila is starting to feel faint and weak. Whatever was in that syringe is starting to have its effect on her, she can feel it.

"Actually no, you won't, you're going under as we speak, aren't you?" Dr Keller chuckled softly.

'Bloody hell, what did she give me?' Leila can't move her arms no matter how hard she tries, and bright colors start to flicker before her eyes… 'Poison?' She struggles to stay lucid.

"It's no use fighting it, Captain. Don't worry, your death will be swift and quite painless, actually," says Dr. Kessler smiling as she begins to ready another syringe.

"Put that down, now!" Ronon and Dr. Beckett stand in the doorway, Ronon with his gun aimed at Dr. Kessler.

"I will shoot, put it down and step away from the bed!" Ronon's eyes have a murderous gleam in them, but Dr. Kessler doesn't seem to notice, although she stops for a moment.

"Don't do it, Jane, no one will hurt you, but you need to put that syringe down now," Dr. Beckett implores her as he slowly comes closer.

Still not moving, Dr Keller seems to be thinking, trying to decide if it's worth it or not. Finally she makes up her mind that it is. She lifts Leila's left arm, ready to inject the lethal dose.

The last thing Leila registers is a loud noise and a red flash before she slips into unconsciousness.

'

When she tries to open her eyes, Leila is blinded by bright light. Blinking she realizes that Ronon sits by her bedside. His head rests on his arm, her hand is clutched in his.

Leila slowly pulls her fingers from his grip and runs her hand over his bowed head.

"I know that hair," she whispers.

"Hey you," Ronon says softly while he strokes her cheek. Then he turns and calls out, "Carson, she's come round!"

"Bless you lass, I thought I would loose you. It was a close call. You are a fighter, that's for sure."

"Yeah, I could have told you that, a strength like hers is hard to find."

"Ronon, what happened to Dr. Kessler? All I remember is a red flash. Did you… hoot her?"

Ronon and Dr. Beckett exchange a quick glance.

"I had to, she wouldn't listen to reason," Ronon replies, his voice suddenly serious.

"But you had your gun set to stun, right?"

"Uh…."

"Ronon?"

"Hell Leila, she was trying to kill you, I had no time to…."

"Dead?" Leila whispers. Ronon nods.

"I don't want you to waste your energy thinking about that now, love. You need all your strength to get better," admonishes Dr. Beckett.

"Alright, I will concentrate on getting better, I promise." Leila's whole body is aching and her head is pounding. All she wants to do is sleep.

When Ronon leans over to kiss her forehead, Leila pulls him down by the neck and kisses him eagerly.

"Aye, and the way it looks that won't take long, I'm sure," Dr. Beckett says with s smile.

**THE** **END**


End file.
